30 Weeks

It's hard to believe that we're already 3/4 of the way through this pregnancy and that our baby boy could be making an appearance in just a couple of months... that's if he stays put until his due date. I celebrated Mother's Day yesterday with my two babies - my little man and our pug Pepper. I'm excited that this time next year they'll be playing together.

How far along: 30 weeks
How big is baby: Size of a large cabbage (40cm from head to toe)
Total weight gain/loss: + 1.5kg
Stretch marks: None (moisturizing my belly, hips and tatas every night before bed)
Maternity clothes:  Still wearing my pre-pregnancy wardrobe but got comfy in my maternity leggings so I had room for my big Mother's Day roast dinner
Wedding rings on/off: On
Sleep: Not much because of my bruised and battered arm, thanks to a blood test gone bad
Food cravings or aversions: None
Gender: BOY!
Movement:  He's supposed to be slowing his roll as he gets bigger but not this over-active baby!
Belly button: Out... but only just
Exercise:  Walking from my bed to the bathroom to the kitchen and back to bed
Diet:  Eating small snacks regularly, but prepared a roast dinner for my mama on Mother's Day and enjoyed every mouthful. Thankfully I didn't have any heartburn afterwards.
What I'm loving:  Being pregnant. This is probably the best I've felt all pregnancy.
What I'm not loving:  The constant pain, pins and needles, heat, twitching, swelling and muscle spasms in my arm
What I miss:  My husband. He's missing out on so much and I miss his cuddles (cooking, cleaning, etc lol) but someone's gotta bring home the bacon
Sickness and symptoms:  So all this hoopla about my arm is thanks to a botched blood test for gestational diabetes. I had it done 11 days ago and my poor left forearm is still bruised, tingling, tender, heavy, hot, swollen and sore. Either I'm a slow healer or the tech taking my blood did a bloody good job at butchering me. After spending almost all day on Saturday seeing my doctor and then in the ER at the hospital, I was diagnosed with a punctured artery that caused a hemorrhage resulting in nerve damage and muscle spasms. I went for an ultrasound today to check for a blood clot as my arm was still aching this morning but thankfully it was all clear. I'm on medication to stop my muscles spasming and pain relief so I can get some sleep but it's just going to take time for my body to recover. Yay more bed rest! :/
Notes:  We have an appointment with our OB (which will include an ultrasound) to look forward to on Thursday this week. Can't wait to see our baby boy again! Then James and I are attending a full day antenatal birthing class on Saturday. Looking forward to that - especially watching James' reaction to seeing a baby being born!

Weekly Guide to Pregnancy: Week 30

Your Baby

How big is my baby?

Fetal size: 40cm total length
Fetal weight: 1.4kg

Your baby has increased in size and won't be able to somersault for much longer. Your medical practitioner will be able to ascertain your baby's position by performing an abdominal examination. Your baby keeps gaining weight and maturing, and you will feel him actively wriggling and kicking. These movements allow you to relate to your baby before he is born.

Your baby's brain has grown and the brain cells and nerves are now active. This means that your baby can now engage in more complex learning and movement. From now on, there will be less and less room for your baby to move, so he will probably move less. If uncomfortable, he will move about. While your baby has been moving around over the past few months, he has been building muscle tone and learning how to orientate himself in the uterus. Over the next 4 weeks, your baby will probably lie with his head facing upwards, but sometimes a baby will turn upside down and "engage" or get ready for birth earlier than usual (head facing downwards).

Your baby starts to gain weight and starts to round out as fat continues to appear beneath the skin. This fat smooths out the wrinkles in the skin. Your baby also begins to control his own body temperature. The hair that covered the skin now reduces, while the hair on the scalp lengthens. The head and body are now fully in proportion - just like a newborn.